


Like You Care

by Lapwing_1835



Category: Bartimaeus - Jonathan Stroud
Genre: Alternate Universe - Afterlife, Cliche, Friends to Lovers, Lovers to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Past Bartolomy, Romance, Slow Burn, past relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-10 05:31:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15284739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lapwing_1835/pseuds/Lapwing_1835
Summary: When Nathaniel dies, instead of being dismissed, Bartimaeus goes to the afterlife with him. When he sees someone he loves, he isn't as happy as you might think. Takes place after The Gate of Ptolemy.Cross-Posted to ff.net with the same name under the username 'Ammet'





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shadowy_Dumbo_Octopus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowy_Dumbo_Octopus/gifts).



> Hi! This is my first fic on Ao3, thought I should add the the Bartolomy section of this fandom. Basically this is a fic where Bartimaeus dies and sees Ptolemy in the afterlife. While you might think this is a depressing one-shot, it is NOT, because there are far too many of those on here. No, this is a long (cliche, terribly told) multi-chapter fic. It was going to be a depressing one-shot but then ideas, so. Thank you for reading!

"Hey Natty-boy." I turned to look at the shocked boy with Ptolemy's gentle brown eyes. "Fancy seeing you here."

  
"What the - Bartimaeus? What are you doing here? Is this the Other Place? Am I dead?"

  
As usual, the boy broke the record for elegant speeches.

"Unfortunately, this is not the Other Place, Nat. You are dead, and apparently, since we shared a body, I came along for the ride."  
"Oh." Nathaniel said, examining his fingernails and looking rather sheepish. "I'm sorry about that."

  
"No problem bud." I said enthusiastically. "I always wondered where you humans go when you die."

  
He craned his neck around, trying to see everywhere at once. For the record, we were in what appeared to be some kind of place like Trafalgar Square. You know, dirt and bricks and stuff. The whole area was kind of gray and gloomy. It had a lovely vibe.

  
"Where actually is this place?" said Nathaniel, looking at me quite bewildered. I rather felt the same way, though I didn't show it.

  
"To be honest with you Natty-boy, despite my infinitely smarter brain and wit, I'm not entirely sure."

  
"Newcomers! Over here please!"

  
We turned, and saw a rather pudgy man with, for some reason, spines like a dragon down his back.

  
We walked over to him, exchanging looks.

  
"Hello sir, would you mind telling me who you are?" That's Nathaniel, always polite. I would have to remedy that.

  
"Hey Mr. Spined-dead-guy-person! Can you tell me why I can't change shape?" I had wanted to slowly transform my guise into a female form of him but found I could not.

  
"Oh, a djinni! We haven't seen one of your kind in ages. Yes, you can't change shape because that is your true form."

  
"My true form is Ptolemy?" I eyed him suspiciously. "Not what I look like on the seventh plane?"

  
"No, that is simply a representation of you, like humans with their bodies. Your true form is what you define yourself as."

  
"Could be worse." I said, shrugging.

  
"Now, you must choose to move on into the next life or to stay here."

  
"Not many people chose to stay back, huh." I said, looking around the empty square.

  
"No, you live in a city. It is called In Urbe Mortuos."

  
"City of the dead." I remarked. "That's original."

  
"What is your choice?" The chubby man asked in a monotone.

  
"Well I don't know about you Nathaniel, but I'm staying here. There are too many dead enemies I want revenge on."

  
"I think I'll move on." Piped up Nathaniel.

  
"All right Nathaniel, you just have to sign this." The man pushed a price of paper toward Nathaniel.

  
"What's that?" Nathaniel said while picking up the paper and peering at it with his cold blue eyes.

  
"It's a warrantee that you won't sue us if your soul suffers any damage." The spiked man said.

  
"You can sue people in the afterlife?" Nathaniel asked, his eyes shining brightly. Of course he would be interested in politics.

  
"Who knows? Maybe. Anyway, sign it there." He said gesturing to the piece. As Nathaniel signed with flourish, the man said, "Also, Bartimaeus, there is someone who would like to meet you." A person walked from behind where the human was sitting.

"Ptolemy!" I said, running over to the figure and wrapping him in a bone-crushing hug."How've you been, I missed you!"

  
"I'm glad to see you too, Rekhyt." Ptolemy said cooly. I frowned. Ptolemy didn't do cool. But you know what, we had forever to figure out whatever odd quirks he picked up.

  
"Hold on Rekhyt." He said, holding me at arms length and narrowing his eyes at me quizzically. "Why do you look like me?"

  
"I missed you and you're a part of me. I suppose that since I wore your guise on Earth, it came to be how I defined myself."

  
"You wore my shape on Earth?" Uh-oh. He sounds upset. But, did he raise his voice? Ptolemy never raises his voice.

  
"I'm really sorry Ptolemy. I didn't know you'd mind." I said rather confused.

  
"No matter. What is done is done."

  
\--

  
The next few weeks were strange for several reasons. Ptolemy acted very oddly. I lived at his house, because he couldn't dissuade me, but since I didn't sleep he didn't let me go in bed with him. Also, sometimes he would depart for long periods of time, saying he was going to the library. This in itself was not unusual because he would never stop appreciating books even in the afterlife. He said for me to stay here because spirits were not allowed. But then once, after he was gone for two days, I began to get worried. I went to the library and spirits were not banned, because "All are afforded the privilege of reading." This was disconcerting to think Ptolemy had been lying to me but that was not all. Then I asked where Ptolemy was, thinking he had gotten caught up in his studies, but the librarian said she hadn't seen him in several years. Greatly concerned I went back to the house and found Ptolemy.  
I confronted him, and he said, "It's not the business of a demon where I go or not."

  
I said to that he had better watch his mouth or I'll leave, and he said that I should leave, crossed his arms over his crest, and smirked.

  
At this point I became more worried than angry. "Ptolemy, is something wrong?"

  
"Rekhyt, I think we should both move on, me with my death and you, well, move on to the next part of this life."

  
At first I just stood there, flabbergasted, but then everything became clear.  
"I'm sorry Rekhyt, bu-"

  
"No." I said, cutting him off. "You can not call me Rekhyt. Only my Ptolemy can call me Rekhyt, and you are not my Ptolemy of Alexandria. You are Ptolemy of In Urbe Mortuos, and I do not love Ptolemy of In Urbe Mortuos. My Ptolemy would cross worlds for me, and he did. My Ptolemy would die for me and he did. Ptolemy of Alexandria is dead. He died saving me." I looked at him with a look Ptolemy had so often gave me. The look said, you are an idiot, and you are so much of one you wouldn't understand me if I told you. The fake Ptolemy could never reciprocate that look. "I am sorry for Ptolemy, that you are shaming him like this, and I hope for his sake you know what you are doing. My Ptolemy lives on in me. Goodbye, Ptolemy of the In Urbe Mortuos."

  
I walked away without a glance back, but of course I ran back, hid behind a tree, and looked to see fake Ptolemy look after me with an expression of hurt and bewilderment, like my Ptolemy would have done, and I dared to feel hope rising in me. But then he shrugged like it didn't matter, and went off to rejoin the others, because perhaps, to him, it didn't.

  
But as I walked away I brushed a tear away from my eye, and I was confused because I thought djinn couldn't cry. But now I think they could, and simply had no reason too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waah! Poor Bart. I know djinn can't normally dream, but in this fanfic Bartimaeus can because he gets a message from someone. :D Who is it?

I was in the library of Alexandria with Ptolemy, and he was studying while I watched him study, like the old times. Occasionally he would ask me a question, as he did so now. I don't remember my answer, but I remember seeing his face light up as he heard it. And then, as we so often had, I took him behind the bookcases and kissed him. But then the dream took a turn. He shoved me off him roughly, and started screaming about how I was a demon, and therefore he would never love me. At first I was hurt, but then I realized he didn't mean any of what he said, because I saw his eyes. And his eyes were speaking to me more clearly then his voice ever could. His eyes said I'm sorry Rekhyt. Help me. And I put a hand on Ptolemy's shoulder and said it was okay. And while he brushed me off and yelled at my nerve, his eyes said thank you, my friend.

Then the floor gave way and I fell into a nearly gray space, with much the same vibe as where we came in to the afterlife. There was even Nathaniel.

"Hey Nat! How are you?"

"I'm quite well thank you Bartimaeus. You can see me because souls can give messages to other souls when they are asleep."

"Oh they can? So what's moving on like?"

"I can't tell you. You are forbidden to give any information about what happens after you die and the penalty is no messages for three days and for one day you croak like a bullfrog."

"That's oddly specific." I remarked.

"So what can you do?" I inquired.  
"Well you can give advice, information, or tell someone not to worry about your death." He said, ticking them off on his fingers.

"So why have you come to see me? Aside from the fact you missed my sparkling personality."

"Well I heard about your 'breakup' with Ptolemy."

"Who hasn't?"(1)

"And I wanted to give you a message." He continued stubbornly.

(1) Two imps and a foliot came to offer me condolences and love advice. One of the imps is currently head-first in a chimney, and the other is in a silver tureen. There is no death around here, so I had to get inventive. I shall spare the details of the foliots predicament for the sensitive-stomached readers. Let's just say he won't be around toilets anytime soon.

"What is your message?" I asked.

"Well," he said shifting from foot to foot, "I want to tell you not to give up on Ptolemy."

"Got that already. Anything else? You could give me love advice." I said sarcastically.

"Well, I do know someone who might help you on that front."  
Carefully, from the pocket of his suit(2), he withdrew a glowing yellow orb.

(2)Even in the afterlife, he still wore those ridiculous suits. He needed a lot of candid fashion advice at volume from a distance.

He threw it on the ground where it floated up and down, and as it did so it expanded into an oval shape. He spoke a name into the portal. "Kitty Jones" 

"So that's who you're summoning?" I asked. He motioned for me to be quiet and nodded. The circle widened and thorough stepped a girl with her head held high. Kitty.

Kitty frowned for a second, her brows furrowed, then her face cleared and she spoke. 

"Nathaniel? Bartimaeus? Are you alive?" She ran over to Nathaniel and hugged him tightly, then withdrew and slapped him. "That's what you get for breaking your promise." 

"Sorry Kitty." He said looking at her sheepishly. "It's rather hard to keep promises when you're dead."

"So am I dreaming?"

"Yes." I said. "You can talk to us now, we need advice."

"Typical." She said smiling through her tears. She had started crying sometime when I was speaking. "Even when you're dead you need help from a commoner."

"Yes, you see-"

Here I was rudely interrupted by Nathaniel. "Hold on Bartimaeus. Telling her about your exact situation could qualify as telling her about the afterlife. I might get punished."

That's Nathaniel, always worrying about his reputation. "I have an idea Kitty." I said, turning to face her. "Suppose there was a hypothetical instance where, for example, someone you have loved for thousands of years changed and doesn't love you anymore, but you think they do because you had a weird dream about them but you had a big fight with them hypothetically."

"Ptolemy?"

"No" I said while winking with Nathaniel nodding. 

"Well you must have hurt his feelings. You should apologize."

"I don't know. I don't think his feelings can be hurt by a 'mean, ugly, dirty, demon who I will never love' " I said while making finger quotes. 

"Just try it Bartimaeus. Appeal to his better nature."

"I don't think he has one anymore." I grumbled. "But it's the best we've got."

"I think you mean best ever!" She said grinning. "Now you should go. I want some alone time with Nathaniel." Nathaniel blushed as Kitty grabbed his hand. I went, but not before I saw them kiss. 

[End Dream] 

When I awoke, I decided to continue with Kitty's plan. I went over to Ptolemy's house and knocked on the door. He opened it, shut it, then opened it again. 

"What do you want?"

"Ptolemy I'm sorry I said you're mean you're not also I do love you could I stay with you pretty-please?" I asked all in a rush. He eyed me, from my imploring expression to my cold and disdaining eyes. 

"Fine, come in. I'm leaving now anyways." He grabbed what looked like a book and left, slamming the door behind him.

The next few days I saw less and less of the faux Ptolemy. But when he did come home all he did was sleep. Which was fine by me. I would hide when he came home, and then when he fell asleep I would watch him. One night he looked so much like the boy I love, I couldn't help it. I crawled under the bedclothes with him. Perhaps unconsciously, he nuzzled up to me and buried his head in my neck.  
I looked at his face and saw him. It may have been thousands of years, we may both be dead, he may have changed, but he was still my friend, my lover.

My Ptolemy.

And this time, I would not leave him.

\--

About five hours later, Ptolemy started to stir. As nice as this was, he couldn't wake up to find me next to him or he might ban me from his house. I needed to hide and once again lamented on my form. Don't get me wrong, I love Ptolemy, but not being able to change shape was kind of a bummer. Even if there was no pain. I got up, stretched, and yawned(3), and hid under his bed. Nice to know humans still had horrible cleaning habits without us noble spirits doing the work. The dust must have equaled the mass of Earth.

(3)Just for show. After all, spirits such as me don't breathe or sleep. 

Ptolemy got up, yawned, and stretched quite like I did, then put on some clothes and stumbled out the door. As the door banged behind him, I left the house. I was going to follow him. I crept out of the house behind him, careful not to have the door creak. I saw him making his way to the center of the city. He went to a huge domed building, perhaps in the center of In Urbe Mortuos. I wondered where Ptolemy had been going. As he opened the door I went in and hid behind a convient pillar. Good to see my tracking skills were not diminished even in the afterlife. He appeared to be alone. Despite my revelation of the previous night, I was still worried about Ptolemy. 

Even if it had been thousands of years here in the afterlife, he would have to have had been pretty dramatically changed to be so different. I was broken from my musings by a door opening and closing in the recesses of the room. 

A girl, in form looking about fourteen years old but her actual age would be impossible to tell. Her face seemed vaguely familiar to me, but I shrugged it off. Being enslaved for thousands of years made a djinni privy to many human facial structures. 

"Ptolemy. I am glad you have come as soon as you did. We are needing all the help we can get. Have you made any progress with the djinni situation?" Her voice was high, and warbling. Yet it had a certain menace to it that made your skin crawl. Also, I was not very happy at being referred to as a 'situation', thank you very much. 

"Yes, I believe so. Bartimaeus seems to have become discouraged. We have achieved much on both fronts." Ptolemy said without much conviction. He also sounded nervous, which was odd, but I took a pleasure in his discomfort which had nothing to do with the fact he thought my discouragement was an achievement.

"Very good Ptolemy. I can see the faith I put in you was not ill-guided."

Just then, she leaned forward and kissed him once, softly. And suddenly, despite my fury to see someone else kissing my Ptolemy, I panicked. Because as she said those words, I recognized her. And things were not good. Things were not bad. Things were very, very, bad.


	3. Chapter 3

Ptolemy's POV:

Today I woke up as I usually did. I must say, the arrival of Bartimaeus had been quite unsettling to me as has been our fight and his subsequent request and apology. It was all very strange and had made me think things I had thought in my youth, things I had not thought in quite some time. At any rate, I was glad he was not here now, though I felt oddly peaceful this morning. I got out of bed, put on some clothes, and left the house. 

I traveled to a building I had been told to go to in the middle of the city. I went in to the room and waited quietly for someone to arrive. At last the door at the opposite end of the hall opened and out stepped a girl. 

"Ptolemy. I am glad you have come as soon as you did. We are needing all the help we can get. Have you made any progress with the djinni situation?" she asked me. 

"Yes, I believe so. Bartimaeus seems to have become discouraged. We have achieved much on both fronts." I said. I was rather nervous she would not consider my response appropriate. Fortunately, she seemed pleased with what I told her.

"Very good Ptolemy. I can see the faith I put in you was not ill-guided."

Such praise from her a month ago would have made my heart leap inside me like it was trying to break free of my body. Even more so would be what she did next, which was step forward slowly and kiss me gently. But instead now I could only think of Bartimaeus. What was he doing now? What would he think of me now? He had near answered the last in our argument and somehow his apology had seemed insincere, like our first conversation. What is wrong with me? Moreover, what is becoming right?

\--

You see, I knew this girl. I never got to know her name when she summoned me, but I referred to her privately as shadow. This was because she was dark, and ruthless, but impossible to strike out at, insubstantial. I would count her as one of my worst masters of all time. If Ptolemy was this close in association to her, he was in far deeper than I had hoped. 

She was not a typical magician, because she looked at me. The magicians never look at you. They look at their goal, wealth and power. No one would look at a demon. They were simply a road to a goal. There were a few exceptions. Ptolemy, of course. Kitty, and even Nathaniel in the end. 

But then there were the others. The completely insane ones that looked right at your soul and beyond. Those were the ones you had to watch out for, and she was right at the end of that scale. It made me shake to think she was so close to my Ptolemy.

Speaking of being close to Ptolemy, I really needed some work on that front. 

Before I could develop a genius plan to seduce my long-lost love, I was hit over the head, had my hands tied behind my back, (1) was being bundled to my feet, and cussed at, not necessarily in that order. This is why not being able to change shape was such a bummer. 

(1) With silver manacles no less! Seriously, hadn't some people heard of curtesy?

"We found someone eavesdropping, master." The burly man holding me said. They brought me over. Honestly, to think Bartimaeus of Uruk could be brought down to this. Shadow was peering at me as though you would a bug or a pest, and I had the feeling she would try to off me in the same way. 

Ptolemy's reaction was more human, at least. He gasped. "Bartimaeus! What are you doing here?" 

"You fool! You led him here you idiot!" She said, well yelled really, at him accusingly. Forget about presumptions of not ill-guided faith. Still, at least her indignation meant she was showing an emotion. I swear, she was the kind of girl who'd get out a gun, shoot both her parents, and sit down to eat a cucumber sandwich. 

"Well, I suppose a few years in the prisons couldn't hurt him." She said finally. I decided to access my situation.

The downsides were clear. I was dead, in the afterlife, where one of my worst masters of all time was threatening to imprison me, I was wearing silver handcuffs, and my Ptolemy was going along with it. It was all fine, except for the last bit.

As for the upsides, I couldn't see any yet. 

"No." 

Well that was one of them.

"Excuse me, what did you say to me?" The girl asked, staring at Ptolemy in incredulity. I wasn't shocked she was questioning him. I doubted Ptolemy had done much except smile and nod when she said something previously.

"No. He was just following me. You don't have to put him in prison." 

Ptolemy said solemnly. He sounded so much like his old self that I started to think maybe dying wasn't so bad. It certainly was worth it to see Shadow's flabbergasted expression. 

"Um, Ptolemy? What are you doing?" She asked. Actually, it was more like she was just ordering him to shut up. He wasn't taking the hint.

"I won't let you put him in prison. He did nothing wrong. Let him go now and we will leave."

I have to say I was surprised at what Ptolemy was saying, if pleased, though I didn't think it was a good idea to cross Shadow.

Even if he was doing it for me.

Suddenly it seemed like a very good idea.

Quietly seething, but not making any moves now, Shadow took off the handcuffs. We both walked away without a backwards glance.


	4. Chapter 4

We both walked back to the house. I was lost in my thoughts and presumably Bartimaeus was also. I was analyzing my actions. I really don't know what I was thinking. I had practically betrayed everything I had been working towards for years. I had jeopardized my whole career. 

Yet somehow I couldn't bring myself to regret it. I had felt such a burden of responsibility when I saw him lying there, trapped. 

In my form. 

I had been acting weird to him ever since he got here, and he had followed me, presumably to make sure I was safe. Which I wasn't. I was sure that retribution would quickly follow me for my actions. 

Putting my thoughts to the side for the present, I decided to focus on my situation. 

To put it succinctly, things did not seem to be looking up. I was on the bad list of a girl whom I did not like when she was happy, and now she was angry at me. My chances of long-term well being and health were low, the chances of my career even lower. Sigh.

"Well, we're here finally. I want to talk to you, Ptolemy." Uh oh.   
Bartimaeus does not sound happy. 

Well, at least he can't kill me again. Somehow, that is not much of a comfort. We both walk in, I, filled with trepidation. 

Bartimaeus seemed to have mastered the art of procrastination. He hummed, shifted from foot to foot, and did everything in his power but look at me. Not that I was much better.

"Sooo..." I said, to break the silence. I wasn't eager for our confrontation, but standing here, like this, was very awkward, at least for me. Over the years I had grown to dislike awkward situations, and done my best to avoid them. 

However that didn't seem like a viable option now.

Not that I didn't want to ponder it.  
"Thank you." Bartimaeus said quietly. Well that was a surprise. "I know you haven't known me for years and I should have guessed you would have changed too. You probably know Shadow more than me now. So, thanks, I guess."

Well that certainly was awkward, but not as bad as I had feared.

"Um, well, you're welcome, I guess. I mean, I should apologize. I haven't been really nice to you since you got here." 

"I'll forgive you someday. Maybe." Bartimaeus said. "But, on to the more fatal stuff. Shadow-"

"Do you mean Anthea? Why do you keep calling her that?"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you didn't know. That's what I privately referred to her as when she summoned me, you know, because she's dark, like evil, and also powerful? Anyway, is Anthea her birth name?" Bartimaeus asked.

"Yes it is. Birth names don't really mean much here, seeing as we can't enslave spirits. She summoned you? That would explain her discontent when I talked about you. She didn't like you much." I said thoughtfully. 

"Discontent is putting it very lightly. She would have used the Shriveling Fire on me long ago if I had not made sure to follow her orders to the letter, if not the spirit, in between insulting her." Bartimaeus seemed to reminisce, drifting back on a wave of both happy and terrifying memories while staring dreamily into space.

"So before we make a plan, I would like to know how you got to meet Sha- Anthea. I mean, why her? There's thousands of you humans."  
Bartimaeus inquired.

"Well, I suppose I should tell you my story now. No time like the present." I shuffled my feet and looked down at them, clearly not believing what I just said. 

"Well then, get on with it! It's going to be the future soon if you don't start talking."

"Technically, it already is the future from the point of view I had, since the present is a metaphorical concept." I smiled shyly at Bartimaeus. 

He grinned in response, and I gulped, but lost some of my nerves.

"So, when I got here I thought I might move on, but I was really waiting for you. Also, I had insatiable curiosity about this place. I mean, the afterlife right? So anyway, at first it was fine. I went to the library, studied, learned, and continuing my life's work in the afterlife. But then, after reading so much, I guess I lost some of my naivety. I kind of lost faith in my goal of peace between worlds and besides, it's not like I can do much, being dead and all. I couldn't even really meet famous people because they all moved on. It was very discouraging. Then, I became met Anthea. She told me I could help this world instead, and it all just happened from there." Here I paused, taking a breath. 

Bartimaeus appeared to be watching me with an expression of nonchalance, but I knew better. He looked livid.

"And you just went with it? Believed her? You didn't lose any of your naivety, it already got you killed once! Are you suicidal?" 

I tried to stay calm. "I'm sorry. I was misguided." 

"Well, let's put that aside for now. Knowing Shadow, she's got something dire planned. What is it?"

"I don't really know. I mean, I know she has a plan, but I don't know what it is." I said.

"You work for her for what, a thousand years, and you don't know her plan? Seriously Ptolemy. Though, I'm can't say I'm surprised. She hardly trusts anyone. But what should we do now?"

"I should be asking you that. You have more experience than I do with this kind of thing." 

"Well, we are probably in danger. She views your disagreement as disloyalty, which it is," here Bartimaeus stopped and gave me an appraising look that might have been approval, "so she views us as a threat. She is most likely going to send someone here to off us, or capture us considering we can't exactly die again. In the meantime you should get some sleep. You'll have to get up early, which is when we'll flee. I don't have too." 

Bartimaeus said. "Ugh! It's so annoying. I can't change shape but I'm still vulnerable to silver. Well, at least I'm not being enslaved, which is always an upside."

"Yeah, well I'll sleep until nightfall. You can keep watch." Bartimaeus paused, as if he wanted to say something, but then walked over to the window and sat on the windowsill. He looked out over the city.


	5. Chapter 5

(A/N: Here is Chapter 5. I wanted to thank Kaliyah3 for favoriting and reviewing, as well as corrections on my Latin.)

Chapter 5:

I had a lot of thinking to do.

Many things were unclear right now. First of all, Ptolemy. Clearly he had changed in the afterlife, but I also think there might be hope we could still be together. Also, I understood what he was saying about how he had started to feel discouraged. Shadow had probably instilled those doubts in him.

Speaking of which, Shadow. Where did she fit into all this? She clearly had something big planned and even if Ptolemy didn't know, his disobedience today might be perceived as a threat to her. It really is necessary for us to go into hiding, and fast. Continuing this line of thought and having similar philosophical thoughts of my situation and poetry (1), about three hours passed agreeably.

(1): I made up a haiku for our current situation. It is very good and the phrase "Bartimaeus is best" is featured prominently.

However, I was roused from my musings by a knock at the door.

Who in the world would be calling at this hour? Ptolemy had told me he didn't really have associations with anyone other than Anthea, so who would be here?

It could be assassins, but assassins don't normally knock, they're more in for the sneak in and kill you part, not the knock on the door politely and then kill you part.

Or they could just be stupid assassins. Well, only one way to find out.

I climbed out the back window, and snuck around the side of the to look at the door. There were four burly people there, most likely men, but a very muscular and fat woman who likes having inch-long facial hair could have been among them, too. It's not unheard of. One was holding a gun. The second raised a fist to pound the door again with a sound that could wake the dead. One dead in particular, perhaps.

Stupid assassins, all right.

I quickly ran back into the house and woke up Ptolemy, who was, miraculously, still asleep.

"What's going on?" Ptolemy asked, drowsy.

"There are assassins here. They are very poor assassins and were knocking on the door, but what they haven't got in brains is made up in muscle. We have to go."

"The only way out is the front door." Ptolemy said. He sounded much more awake now.

"That's not true. You've got windows, haven't you? We can go out one of those, no time to get dressed." Surprisingly, Ptolemy got out of bed with little complaint, and we climbed out the back window, just as I heard a resounding crash from behind us that signaled the door being broken in. Honestly, you'd think Shadow could find more competent killers; then again, maybe there weren't many left considering her habit of offing them after they did the job. Two thousand years of assassinations and no wonder they are a minority. We stole across the yard and continued walking behind other houses, the sounds of Ptolemy's house being trashed growing fainter.

"Well, what do we do now?" Ptolemy's voice asked, breaking through my thoughts. "We can't go back now anyway."

"No, we can't," I agreed, "but I think I know where we can go." We continued walking until we got to the double doors of the library.

"Why are we here?" Ptolemy asked, sounding annoyed.

"Three reasons. One, it's a public place, and it's open. There might not be that many people, but there's at least a librarian, and I don't think five people holding guns and looking menacing will be allowed in. Secondly, for some reason, villains avoid libraries like the plague. Probably has something to do with being quiet and civil. You can't yell about world domination in there. Finally, there's information, so we might be able to figure out what Anthea's up to. Good enough for you?"

Ptolemy groaned. "Fine."

"You know, I remember when I had to drag you away from the library to eat." I said lightly.

Ptolemy appeared to want to burn up the carpet on the floor with his eyes.

We walked into the library, I feeling both guilty and angry. It was not a nice emotion, aside from being half asleep.

"So, what are we looking for?" I asked, partly to change the subject and partly because I actually wanted to know.

"We're going to read about In Urbe Mortuos, to figure out what Anthea might be planning." Bartimaeus said. "Also, we're going to read about other people who were evil and what they tried to do. You know, learn from the past or whatever you humans say."

"Okay." I said. I tried to sound nonchalant when he called Anthea evil. Partly because I had associated with her, and partly because I knew it was true.

We both walked into the library.

As we walked in, the library seemed strangely quiet, though it could be simply the time of night we were arriving.

"Well, do you know where we can find books on this city?" Bartimaeus asked. "You know this place more than I do."

"They're over here." I guided him to a shelf containing books on the subject. "I was interested in the city before, well, you know." I finished rather ineloquently. Fortunately, Bartimaeus had nothing to say about my response.

We picked out a few books each and got to work.

After about an hour or so which was spent reading rather boring books on In Urbe Mortuos' history, none of which offered either of us any epiphanies aside from the fact that very boring history professors had seemingly not moved on, I broke the silence to voice a thought that I had pondered since I woke up.

"You know Bartimaeus, you could have just left me to die, let those assassins kill me. But you didn't. Why?"

Bartimaeus appeared to take some time to ponder my question.

"Well, I suppose to honor Ptolemy, who he, well you, were. I couldn't live with myself if I just left you to die. Also..." Bartimaeus trailed off.

"What?" I prompted him.

"I guess I also hoped that maybe you hadn't really changed. I hope that maybe, someday, you might like me again." Bartimaeus said this all in a monotone, while staring at the table as if it held the answer to all life's questions.

"Thank you." I said. He looked at me as I grabbed his hand, and I was rewarded with a smile.

"Aw, how sweet, the djinni and his boyfriend have made up," we hear from behind us, in a girl's mocking tone. Our hands shot apart as if electrified. "Why don't they kiss and have done?"

We turned around to see Anthea's mocking face, set in a contemptuous sneer.

Bartimaeus hissed at me as we rose like two men to the gallows.

"What, exactly, did you tell her about us?"


End file.
